Issue 10-02-2017

NEW YORK — With disposable personal income climbing and consumer confidence up across the U.S., some organizations are forecasting that the holiday shopping season could bring robust sales for retailers to cap off what was a very rough year. Deloitte LLP said it expects retailers to see holiday sales growth of as much as 4.5%.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Gary Philbin has been named president and chief executive officer of Dollar Tree Inc. as part of a planned leadership succession. Bob Sasser, the company’s CEO since 2004, has assumed the role of executive chairman of the board. Sasser, 65, joined Dollar Tree in 1999 as chief operating officer. He was promoted

BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos. is buying meal kit delivery company Plated, a vehicle for catering to consumers attracted to the convenience of having their meals delivered. “Today’s consumer is looking for a variety of personalized shopping alternatives, and this transaction is the latest example of Albertsons meeting our customers wherever and however they like

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) last month received clearance from the Federal Trade Commission to expand its business through the purchase of 1,932 Rite Aid stores for $4.38 billion. That’s fewer Rite Aid stores than it had sought to acquire, but the companies were forced to revise the deal a number of times

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Ken Martindale has left his job as president and chief executive officer of stores at Rite Aid Corp. to become CEO at GNC Holdings Inc., operator of a nutritional supplements retail chain headquartered in ­Pittsburg. Martindale joined Rite Aid in December 2008 and became the company’s first CEO of stores in

CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. has announced an effort to end hunger in the chain’s markets and eliminate waste across the company by 2025. Some 42 million Americans struggle with hunger. At the same time, an estimated 72 billion pounds of food ends up in a landfill every year. “More than 40% of the food produced

WOONSOCKET, R.I.— CVS Health has rolled out a sweeping plan that utilizes its integrated pharmacy assets to help battle drug misuse and abuse, namely opioid painkillers. The program would also boost funding for addiction programs, counseling and safe disposal of opioids. “As America’s front door to health care with a presence in nearly 10,000 communities

TORONTO — Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM) has developed a new store format called Wellwise that is designed to appeal to seniors who don’t want to shop at an “old person’s store.” The pilot store on Wicksteed Avenue in Toronto features bright lighting and vivid colors, instead of the beige decor typically associated with more clinical

ARLINGTON, Va. — Americans yearn for more frequent family meals at home, and providing solutions that help them achieve this goal is a potential growth path for grocers, according to a new report from Food Marketing Institute and The Hartman Group Inc. Research from FMI and others suggests that household members’ conflicting schedules is the

Autumn is here — and with it, the critical fourth calendar quarter, that make-or-break period that separates the golden performers from the rest of the retailing community. This year, in particular, change has been the retailing constant, but in many quarters of the retailing community things have been remarkably consistent, with many companies doing very

Albertsons Cos.’ decision to acquire Plated, one of the leaders in the burgeoning meal kit service business, is further evidence of the ferment in the nation’s grocery sector and the company’s determination to capitalize on the changes under way that are transforming the industry. Established in 2012, Plated leverages technology and data to give consumers